When you're close to me
by Thalassina
Summary: After the realization hit her, it was impossible for Astrid to look at him the same way anymore. (Aka being a teenager and having a crush on your best friend is the best set-up for prom night.)
1. Revelations

Astrid didn't know exactly when it started.

She remembered lunch in the cafeteria, trying to squeeze in some homework, and a slightly nasal laugh when the math equations didn't make sense to her and she let that out in a menacing tirade under her breath. She remembered wondering why it had pleasantly filled her ears, why it had made her look up.

She remembered standing in the school's hallway shortly after last period, students jostling around, a cacophony of girly laughter, loud testosterone-filled exclamations and the general buzz of conversation surrounding her. She remembered turning away from her locker, ready to head out, and catching a glimpse of auburn hair in the crowd. She remembered smiling and waiting for him to catch up to her so they could walk out together.

She remembered her smile growing at every new text, remembered her sudden awareness of how much fun it was to hang out together.

But most of all, she remembered that one Saturday before finals.

It had been a busy couple of weeks, crammed with last-minute papers and presentations, long nights filled with caffeine and frustration. She was nothing but an ambitious student, always determined to ace every test coming her way, to prove herself and excel in every subject. Astrid Hofferson had goals, and she'd do everything in her power to reach those goals. That meant a very rigorous studying schedule, no distractions allowed. That again involved not being able to see her friends outside of school. She had no time for smoothies and movies, for afternoons in the park, the cove or on Heather's couch, and certainly no time for Hiccup Haddock. Which sucked, because he was her best friend – the best she's ever had, if anyone asked her.

She had first met him in kindergarten, but never really had had anything to do with him. Only when they got paired up for a project in freshman year – the classic way of getting to know people you never talked to – and after the initial rounds of awkward silence, did she have a real conversation with him. Up to that point, she had thought they couldn't be more different people and that she couldn't be less interested in the person that was Hiccup Haddock. But when he mentioned his dog with a missing tail and she told him stories about the parakeet she'd had as a kid and the puppy she had recently adopted, the conversation just kept flowing. Not always smoothly, but that didn't matter. She liked talking to him. She found out he had a strong passion for what he loved and what he thought was right. He deeply cared for the people in his life and would do anything for them. Besides, it turned out they shared a lot of interests, and that made becoming friends even easier. And being friends with Hiccup was just that – easy. It was as if they clicked on another level, able to read each other like a book. There was no one who Astrid rather spent time with. He always made her forget about her troubles, but unfortunately finals – and therefore studying – were her troubles at the time.

Astrid groaned and buried her face in her physics textbook. She was lying on her stomach on the ground in her room, every surface covered with binders, notepads, textbooks, post-its, and index cards – the aftermath of a whole Saturday morning filled to the brim with studying, right after a short few hours of sleep preceded by a Friday afternoon and night study session.

Her brain was overflowing with equations, bullet points, half-sentences and phrases that refused to fall into context. The more she read and reviewed the less sense everything made in her head. Astrid sighed. She needed a breather. Placing her textbook aside, careful so the post-its didn't shift out of place, she reached for her phone. She lay on her back and, holding her phone above her face, skimmed through various group chats. They all basically said the same; people were either studying or procrastinating, asking for help in several subjects, and the overall vibe screamed for salvation in the form of finals to be over already or a distraction of any shape or form.

Astrid was just grinning at a few memes sent by the twins when her phone suddenly buzzed several times from incoming texts, prompting her to drop it on her face.

**Hiccup [11:48am]: **_your brain melted yet? i think i'm seeing smoke signals coming from your house_

**Hiccup [11:48am]: **_or did you try to make lunch and the house is burning down_

**Hiccup [11:48am]:** _do i need to call 911_

**Hiccup [11:49am]: **_where are your parents_

**Hiccup [11:49am]: **_omg did you finally snap from all the studying and killed them?_

Rubbing her aching nose where her phone had met her face a moment ago, she typed back.

**Astrid [11:50am]: **_Who do you think I'm cooking? ;)_

Hiccup answered with a series of shocked emojis. Astrid grinned and imagined him placing a hand on his chest, pseudo-shocked look on his face. She rolled back onto her stomach, eyes set to the little dots indicating he was typing.

**Hiccup [11:51am]: **_tbh i'm not surprised_

**Hiccup [11:51am]: **_always knew it was just a matter of time until someone died at your hands_

**Hiccup [11:52am]: **_how did you do it? axe or feeding them your version of an edible meal?_

She could easily picture him gesticulating, waving his hands around, never able to keep them still while talking. It was kind of charming.

**Astrid [11:52am]: **_Axe, of course. My cooking might be basic, but it doesn't kill people._

**Hiccup [11:53am]: **_biggest_

**Hiccup [11:53am]: **_lie_

**Hiccup [11:53am]: **_ever_

**Hiccup [11:53am]: **_hofferson_

Astrid was about to reply when another text came in.

**Hiccup [11:54am]: **_HOLY SHIT IS THAT WHY YOUR STEW WAS SO BAD? WHERE YOUR NEIGHBORS IN IT?!_

She rolled her eyes. A few months ago, she had made dinner for her friends. She had tried to follow her mother's recipe but with her own twists, wanted to create something new, something originally _Astrid_ – and, apparently, had succeeded. Only that her friends were rather spitting it back out on their plates than praising her cooking skills. The only one who at least tried and gulped down a few spoonfuls was Hiccup, and she loved him for it, despite the following teasing she had to endure.

**Astrid [11:55am]: **_Shut up, Hiccup. I'm trying to study here._

**Hiccup [11:55am]: **_how's that going_

**Hiccup [11:56am]: **_have you even eaten anything yet_

Astrid sighed. At his mention of stew, her stomach had growled viciously. Aside from half a croissant early in the morning, she'd had nothing to eat yet. She'd been so absorbed in studying that she hadn't even noticed her parents leaving for their shopping day. Just one more chapter, she told herself while reopening her textbook, then she'd look for something to eat in the kitchen.

She put her phone away, not giving Hiccup the chance to further tease her on the subject of food. She would never admit this to him, but he was right. Astrid didn't know how to cook, no matter how many cookbooks and articles she read, no matter how often she tried even the simplest meals. She was a lost cause. This was the reason why her motivation to look for something edible wasn't necessarily high. She knew for sure there were no leftovers, and the fridge was likely mostly empty anyway; her parents would buy groceries at the end of their day at the mall.

Forcing herself back to her textbook, she pushed the notion of food to the back of her mind. Soon she was buried deep in her notes, trying desperately to press new information into her brain. When she stared at an equation and the numbers and symbols started dancing all over the page, she groaned in frustration. She needed to know this stuff by next Friday, and there was still so much more to revise.

She got up and went to the bathroom, filling the sink with cold water which she then dunked her head in several times. But it was of no use, it wasn't ice water, of course this wouldn't work. The only thing it did was to make her aware of how thirsty she was. While towel-drying her hair, she trudged down the stairs to grab herself a bottle of water. A quick check of the fridge confirmed her suspicion that there was basically no real food in this house. She found a few crackers in the cupboard and resigned herself to her dry excuse of a lunch when she heard the bell ring.

Bag of crackers in hand, she went to open the door and was greeted by a pair of familiar green eyes and a lopsided smile.

"Hey," Hiccup said. His hair was as tousled as always and she noticed he was wearing an old green sweater that he only dug out on lazy weekends. Astrid didn't have to ask if he had opened a textbook at all today.

"Hiccup, you're smart," she said in lieu of a greeting. "How do I restart my brain?"

Following her into the house and stealing a few of her crackers, which earned him a ferocious glare, he shrugged. "That's exactly why I'm here." He threw a cracker in his mouth and nearly missed. "I read the smoke signals."

Astrid gave him a punch on the arm. "That's for wasting my last food ration. Now I'm going to starve!"

Rubbing his arm, he motioned his head toward his car that was parked outside. "Then let's go get some food."

She crossed her arms, empty bag crinkling in her hand. "I can't. I have to study."

"We both know you're not going to come far like this. Come on, I know you need a break."

Astrid sighed. They both knew he was right.

"And something to eat," he added when her stomach chimed in on the discussion. "See? Now let's go before you kill and eat me too."

Astrid bit her lip. She knew he wasn't going to drop this. And a short break from studying could surely recharge her concentration.

"Alright," she gave in with a sigh and put the bag in the trash, grabbed her jacket and followed Hiccup back outside. "But I lied, I didn't cook my parents. They're out shopping."

"In that case, I'm even more scared, in such proximity with you when you've clearly not yet let out your daily dose of violence."

"It's not violence," she protested, "it's communication!"

"If it is, people should even be more afraid of you. You have some strong opinions."

Astrid grinned and shut the car door. "Hell yeah, I do."

"So communicate with me then," Hiccup said while turning onto the street. "What do you want to eat?"

"Anything that's not a dry cracker."

"Or stew."

She punched his arm lightly and he glared at her. "I'm driving here, you insane muttonhead."

"You're the muttonhead," she retorted brightly before plugging his stereo cable in her phone and selecting their special car playlist. The songs that made it in were a bunch of shared favorite songs, songs they listened to on longer car rides together, songs that had a special meaning to them, or songs that were some sort of inside joke between them. They referred to it as their car playlist, but Astrid thought of it only as her Hiccup playlist. Whenever she felt down, she listened to it, finding comfort in the memories it held and the promise of their friendship that came with it.

While the music blasted through the speakers, Hiccup hummed along.

"How did you know?" Astrid asked as he turned onto the main road.

"Hm?"

"That I needed a break from studying."

Hiccup glanced at her before turning his eyes back on the road. "Like I said, I read the smoke signals from your brain. I call it," he made a grand gesture with one arm, "_Astrintuition_."

"That's not a thing, you dork."

"It is now, I just named it."

Astrid looked out the window to hide her smile. Of course he knew. He knew that she would spend her entire weekend preparing for finals and that she'd prioritize that over everything else. That's why he decided to come by and make sure she ate something and still saw the sun. A fond feeling spread in her chest.

They ended up at Pizza Hut where they shared their favorite pizza, a Cheesy Crust Chicken Supreme. Hiccup watched in awe as she devoured slice after slice and when he exclaimed that he was stuffed, she ate the rest of his half too. She might not look like it, he thought, but that girl could rival his father when it came to eating. Astrid was so busy with her pizza that she missed the affectionate look he gave her.

On the way back to her place, the sun came out. It hit Hiccup's hair at just the right angle to create a fiery halo around his head. Astrid rolled down her window to enjoy the warm breeze.

When their playlist jumped to a loud and fast song, Hiccup amped up the volume. He and Astrid automatically started duetting, jerking their heads along to the fast parts and swaying in sync to the slower ones. It had taken them a lot of tries to finally get all the lyrics right in the proper pace, and even now one of them sometimes fell out, provoking a snort from the other while they spluttered to jump back in.

Astrid loved moments like these. It was her and Hiccup, a team, enjoying each other's presence. When the song faded out, their last chuckle dying down with it, she propped up her elbow and leaned her head on her hand. She closed her eyes, felt the wind in her hair, on her skin. She smiled when she recognized the next song, her favorite from three summers ago. Silently mouthing the lyrics along, she got struck by a feeling of utter contentment, accompanied by a swelling in her chest while familiar, memory-laden streets around her where dipped in sunlight.

_Forget about the trouble__  
__Forget about the drama__  
__Cause I ain't Casanova__  
__Baby I can dance for days__  
__This time with you__  
__Is just amazing in so many ways_

She looked over at Hiccup who slightly bobbed his head to the music, his eyes on the road, a small smile gracing his features, the sunlight dancing in his hair. She couldn't stop looking at him. It was as if she was suddenly seeing him with new eyes. She felt a swoop in her stomach. In the light, she could make out slight stubble on his chin. His fringe and thick eyebrows cast shadows over his face. She had never really noticed how handsome he was.

Feeling a blush heat up her cheeks, she averted her eyes. _Well, this is new_, she thought.

For the rest of the day, she couldn't really concentrate on anything and fell asleep much later than usual, confusion and strange new revelations keeping her awake until early in the morning.

From then on, she noticed the little things. The small touches that were suddenly too much, the glances, the dragged-out goodbyes, the increasing frequency of hugs that tended to linger a moment too long. She wondered why she had never noticed how green his eyes were, how much taller than her he had grown, or how broad his shoulders had become only in the last year.

Every day, she noticed it, noticed him more. And it only got worse over time.

When he looked at her, her heart skipped a beat or two. He invaded her thoughts regularly and often in the most inconvenient moments, like when she wanted to sleep or needed to pay attention during class. Astrid was in no way a sappy romantic. But every time the topic of love or romance was brought up even in the slightest, her mind wandered to Hiccup, much to her chagrin. They were _friends_. She didn't want to ruin that with sudden, stupid _feelings_.

Eventually, she came to admit to herself that she had a crush on him (just a small one really, no big deal). It was when her grandmother asked for a nice photo of her and Astrid sorted through her pictures on her laptop. After an hour or so she suddenly noticed she had moved from looking at pictures of herself to staring at pictures of Hiccup instead.

It took her a while to come to terms with it, before she tried to block it out and hoped it went away on its own. When that didn't work, she changed tactics. Going out with someone else would certainly help her forget about her crush. But whenever she tried to find a guy she'd go on a date with, the qualities she looked for in them were traits she associated with Hiccup. In comparison to him, everyone else quickly faded into the background.

By the time she gave up changing targets, she could no longer deny to herself that this crush was indeed not small at all. And her plan to not tell anyone so that it couldn't become a bigger deal than it was – and it really was a big deal – failed spectacularly when Heather caught her staring at Hiccup from afar and asked her if she ever noticed how she wouldn't shut up about him. Astrid tried denying it at first, but there was no fooling Heather.

"Hiccup this, Hiccup that. Astrid, you couldn't be more obvious."

Sometimes, though, Astrid was glad that Heather knew. She would do her all kinds of little favors, like "accidentally" forgetting something in her locker when the three of them were on their way to class, saving Hiccup a seat that happened to be right next to Astrid, or cancelling at the last minute when they decided to go to the movies so Astrid and Hiccup were to themselves. Although Astrid loved her for doing that, it didn't help her frustration about her one-sided crush.

Heather, however, had a different opinion. She believed that Hiccup had feelings for her, too, based on the way he acted around Astrid. Despite her hopes that her friend was right, Astrid nevertheless argued that Hiccup had always been like that since the beginning of their friendship; Heather just hadn't been there to see it since she'd come to their school later. Besides, Hiccup was the one always stressing that they were friends (best friends, but still just friends). Heather would just look at her like she was missing something obvious.

Time went on like this, with Heather always trying to nudge Hiccup and Astrid in the right direction and telling her to just talk to him or make a move herself. And it's not like Astrid didn't try. She gave Hiccup signals all the time, like shuffling closer and leaning against him while they were watching a movie, dropping comments here and there about the two of them together, touching him on the arm or chest or hand whenever she got the chance to – not that she minded at all – and even going out for ice cream_ on Valentine's Day_. But either he didn't notice the signs, like the dork that he was, or he read them wrong. And there was still the possibility that he wasn't into her at all – a notion Astrid hated but had to admit could be true.

Her frustration got especially bad when prom rolled around. While she normally wouldn't even think twice about the ridiculous need to find a prom date that other girls seemed to have, a part of her still hoped Hiccup would ask her while she tried to work up the nerve to ask him herself. But whenever she opened her mouth to bring up the topic, she chickened out. If she asked him and he said no, she didn't want that to affect their friendship, didn't want to jeopardize whatever it was that made their whole dynamic so easy and comfortable. And it wasn't like she needed a prom date to have a good time with him, anyway.

She kept going back and forth with her reasonings, caught between her idea of simply having fun with her friends without conforming to high school society norms, and the inevitable pull Hiccup had on her, creating her desire to be close to him, closer than she was now. And she just couldn't find a solution.

* * *

Astrid was sitting in the cafeteria, picking at her vegetables, while she glared daggers at the girl who was currently talking to Hiccup on the other side of the room. The girl was tall, blonde and pretty, and she had her hand on his arm while she threw her hair back laughing at something he said.

"I know cafeteria food is awful, but even those peas don't deserve what you're doing to them," Heather said next to her, watching as her friend tortured squashy peas and radiated jealousy like a miniature Chernobyl. When Astrid only grunted in response, Heather sighed. "Just ask him already. I don't know how much longer I can take this unnecessary pining." She snorted. "Or Snotlout."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Don't remind me." She'd been asked to prom nine times by now, eight of those by Snotlout (the other one by an overachieving freshman named Gustav).

She cut into her steak, pretending she wasn't secretly watching Hiccup and _that girl_. Her plate made a horrible sound when she got through the steak and ran her knife over the cheap china. She and Heather cringed at the bloodcurdling noise and Astrid mumbled an apology.

When she looked up the next time, _that girl_ was gone. Hiccup came towards their table with his food tray and sat down opposite them.

"That's the fifth time this week that I've been asked to prom," he said. "Is there some kind of prank going on?"

Astrid scowled. She only knew about three. "If there is, I'm going to kill the person responsible," she mumbled and chewed on her steak. Hiccup frowned at her sour mood but didn't comment on it.

"Hiccup, do you even know how popular you are?" Heather asked him. "And you're an eyecatcher. Girls notice you." Hiccup looked at her as if she'd grown a second head. "It's true, just ask Astrid."

Astrid almost choked on her (awful) steak and felt Hiccup's eyes burning through the side of her face. "Yeah well, kind of," she stammered, fighting the blush growing on her cheeks while she avoided his gaze, "I mean, everyone gets more handsome when they grow up, not specifically you, but everyone, you know, which doesn't mean that you didn't, I mean… You're fine, I guess." She shrugged and stuffed half her steak into her mouth so that she couldn't start rambling again like that.

"What Astrid's trying to say here is that I'm right."

A quick glance told Astrid that Hiccup was still frowning at her weird behavior. "Are you alright?"

She gave him a strained smile and swallowed the ball of dry meat in her mouth. "I'm fine." He didn't seem convinced but didn't question her further either. Instead, he went back to complaining.

"I just can't catch a break from turning down prom invitations. Which I most certainly never thought I'd ever even have to do in the first place."

Heather took from that that he'd immediately said no to all of them. A smile grew on her face as an idea crossed her mind. This was a perfect opportunity.

"Hey, why don't you guys go together?" she asked, looking back and forth between Astrid and Hiccup. Both of them simultaneously started to protest.

"It's not like that."

"We're not… It's not…"

"We don't _date_."

"Yeah, that'd be weird, because we're just–"

"We're just friends."

"Yes, exactly."

They were both blushing pretty hard, avoiding each other's gazes. Heather rolled her eyes.

"Then just go as friends. That means you," she pointed at Hiccup, "will be left alone by all those girls, and you," she pointed at Astrid, "will get Snotlout off your back."

Astrid pondered that for a moment and came to the conclusion that she liked that thought. She and Hiccup shared a look.

"Alright," he said and gave her a lopsided smile. "Wanna go to prom?"

She tried not to break into a wide smile while she felt the familiar tingle in her stomach. "Sure," she shrugged and went back to eating her cafeteria food which suddenly didn't taste so bad anymore. Hiccup did the same, suppressing a grin himself. Heather just shook her head at them and sighed. _Hopeless dorks_.

* * *

**A/N: If anyone cares, for the song they're duetting to in the car I had System of a Down's "Chop Suey" in mind and the one after that, the one I quoted, is "Sway" by Blue October.**

**(The other two parts still need some editing, but they're gonna be up very soon.)**


	2. Chicken Dance

Astrid looked at herself in the mirror while she was brushing her teeth that night, a smile on her face that had been there constantly since lunch, since Hiccup and she had agreed to go to prom together, as friends.

It was when she spit out the rest of the toothpaste foam that it hit her. He hadn't phrased the question specifying they only go as friends. She shook her head as if the physical motion could stop her mind from overthinking, which was usually Hiccup's move – he was the overthinker, she was there helping out with common sense.

**Astrid [10:59pm]: **_It's not a date, right?_

**Hiccup [11:11pm]:** _we're friends_

It was more of a statement than an actual answer, but it was answer enough. It wasn't a date and they would make sure of it in order to keep it from becoming awkward.

They decided that Astrid would pick him up instead of the other way around where the boy would stand at the door with a bouquet in his hands waiting for the girl to come down the stairs while her father gave him the intimidating dad talk. They agreed on no flowers and no dads. She was there at eight and texted him to come outside, and then she drove them to prom.

Fishlegs was the official photographer of the night. He insisted on the job and wouldn't leave it to anyone else. He was head editor of the school paper and as such would provide one of the important sources. Which was why he was taking his job very seriously and wouldn't let Hiccup and Astrid pass without taking their official prom portrait. They tried talking him out of it, but he was relentless.

Astrid rolled her eyes and stood in front of the camera, arms crossed and glaring. Hiccup came up next to her, standing close enough that their arms touched and she could smell his cologne, which flustered her for a moment. It was somehow simultaneously grounding and disarming.

He told her to smile, his voice so close to her ear that it gave her goosebumps. She met his eyes and the camera went off with a flash. Hiccup put an arm around her shoulders and she casually leaned into him, the corners of her mouth curling into a grin on their own accord. The camera flashed a second time and Fishlegs was finally pleased.

Hiccup pulled her along, his hand burning on her bare arm, leaving it tingling when he let go.

The gym at Berk High was almost unrecognizable. Lights hung everywhere, a disco ball was suspended from the ceiling, colorful flashes were dancing over the floor. There were a few tables with drinks and snacks, seating accommodations here and there, and a big dancefloor in the middle of the hall. A DJ had set up his gear on a desk in a corner, music was blaring through large speakers, and the dancefloor was already full of students.

"Welcome to the jungle," Astrid heard a familiar voice behind her say.

"We've got fun and games," another equally familiar voice joined in.

The twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut appeared, matching grins on their faces.

"We got everything you want, honey, we know the names."

"We are the people that can find whatever you may need," Tuffnut finished and made an exaggerated bow.

Astrid crossed her arms. "You didn't spike anything, did you?"

"We? Never." Hiccup gave her a look that clearly said he didn't believe them either. "Anyway, if you two need anything – and I mean _anything_ – you know where to find us." With that, Tuff winked at them and disappeared into the crowd, his sister by his side.

"Someone should keep an eye on them," Hiccup mused and Astrid wholeheartedly agreed. Judging from the look on the twins' faces, something was clearly to go awry tonight.

The party itself turned out to be better than Astrid had anticipated. The music wasn't awful, there were no overprotective parents playing chaperone, people weren't showing up drunk and it seemed like the twins had _not_ done anything to the drinks (which made her a little suspicious, but she chose not to dwell on that, for the sake of her enjoyment of the night so far).

Hiccup was right next to her most of the time. Sometimes their elbows would touch and make her all the more aware of him. She would brush her bangs out of her face and look away to hide the almost constant blush that heated up her cheeks and ears. Heather winked at her every single time which Astrid always answered with a glare.

Snotlout tried asking her to dance every time a slow song came on, but she kept shutting him down. From the corner of her eye, she could see Hiccup frown at him in an annoyed fashion. But not a single time did he ask her himself.

Tuffnut, however, did. That was, he didn't exactly ask but simply pulled her onto the dancefloor with him. It wasn't a slow dance and Astrid knew there were no deeper intentions there, so she let him twirl her around in an extravagant fashion until she felt dizzy.

"Snotlout doesn't even know how to dance," he yelled in her ear over the loud music. "And Hiccup's too chicken to even keep eye contact with you, so your best friend Tuffnut will show you how to have a good time."

"Thanks, Tuffnut," she said when the song ended. He bowed and placed a kiss on her hand.

"Anytime, my fair Astrid, anytime. Hey, I love this song!" With that, he threw his head back and his hands up, yelled along to the music and started to jump and spin around. The students around him quickly moved away from him so they didn't get hit by his flailing limbs. Soon enough, a circle formed around him while he banged his head and _danced_ in true Tuffnut fashion.

On her way back to her friends, Astrid saw Heather talking to Hiccup somewhere off to the sides. He rubbed his neck with one hand, and she could swear there was a blush on his nervous face. When Astrid reached them, Heather winked at her and disappeared into the crowd.

Hiccup wouldn't look at her directly when she came to stand next to him. "So, um… Nice party, huh?"

"What did Heather say to you?"

He finally looked up, his green eyes wide. "Oh, n- nothing. I'm um, I'm gonna… I'm gonna go and… And find Fishlegs! Yeah, that's… what I'm gonna… Yeah." And with that, he was gone. Tuffnut was still rocking the dancefloor, Heather, Snotlout and Ruffnut were nowhere to be seen, and Fishlegs was taking photos on the other side of the gym, which left Astrid to herself. She crossed her arms with a scowl. She didn't have to think hard to guess what Heather might have said to Hiccup. And that muttonhead had panicked.

She huffed and sat down on a chair in a corner, her good mood suddenly gone. Why was he avoiding her? Since Fishlegs had taken their portrait, he hadn't looked at her once, apart from a few short glances. He'd been by her side the whole night so far, though. Had come along when the group decided to dance. Once, he had taken both her hands and twirled her a couple times, making her dizzy in a different way than Tuff had with his moves. But immediately after, he had dropped her hands and barely said anything to her since. It was as if he couldn't stand being close to her. It stung.

On the one hand, Astrid figured he was as nervous as she was, here on their not-date that, whatever she told herself, felt real nonetheless. They were overstepping a line. They had always been friends, exclusively. By agreeing to go on this not-date date, they had made room for the potential for _more_. It wasn't just a longing idea anymore that kept them – her, at least – awake at night. This was a chance for them to make a move, to erase that line. On the other hand, the otherwise determined Hiccup was acting like a coward by flinching away from every chance he got to take a step forward in whatever it was between them.

But, as vulnerable as Hiccup could make her feel with a mere look into her eyes, she wasn't Astrid Hofferson if she didn't advance on her own. If he was too afraid to do something, she would do it instead.

Taking a deep breath, she made a decision. Tonight, she would make the move.

What that move was, however, Astrid wasn't sure. Should she kiss him? Tell him about her feelings? Kiss him then? But what if he didn't want her to? _Argh!_ Astrid stomped her foot. She hated this uncertainty, this vulnerability. It was like Hiccup had this power over her. This power that he didn't even know he possessed. Was he aware that he could easily break her, turn her whole world upside down? Knowing him, he would never intentionally do that. But if he hadn't picked up on all the signs she'd been sending him during a whole year, he could have the best intentions with his actions but still unknowingly break her heart.

She nervously clenched her fist when she heard the music change to a slow song. She scanned her surroundings but couldn't find Hiccup at first. Then the crowd parted and he dodged several couples who had started swaying to the music.

Astrid's lips curled into a smile on their own when he sat down next to her and breathed a simple "Hey." She felt the familiar storm of butterflies in her stomach when he held her gaze and smiled that lopsided smile of his that gave her heart palpitations on a regular basis. "Sorry for running off earlier." He sheepishly rubbed his neck, a familiar gesture of his.

"Yeah, that wasn't cool." She relaxed in her seat. A simple smile and his calm voice did that to her. She raised a hand and loosely hit his shoulder with it. "That's for leaving me alone over here."

"Guess I deserved that." Astrid hummed in agreement and they fell into a comfortable silence. It wasn't until the song was almost over that she remembered her plan. She just needed to ask him. Just a single dance. Now, before the song was over. But when she turned to him and opened her mouth, the words already on her tongue, and he looked back at her with these big green eyes, freckles barely visible in the dim light, she froze, stuck under his questioning gaze. And when she shook herself out of it, it was already too late, the beat faster, the chance missed. Astrid inwardly cursed.

"What is it?" Hiccup asked, still looking at her.

"Oh, nothing," Astrid brushed her bangs out of her face, "I just wanted to ask if you… wanted something to drink." She could have sworn he looked disappointed for a second, but then he nodded, smile back on his face.

"Sure."

With ABBA playing in the background, they made their way to the drink stand, choosing between water, soda, and something ominous with a bright blue color. It tasted as predicted – too sweet and too fake, and weirdly sour at the same time. Astrid downed the whole cup all in one go and flushed the strange taste in her mouth away with water. Hiccup was silently sipping his coke, flashing her tight smiles whenever she looked over.

Astrid wished the twins _had_ done something to the drinks. Maybe a little alcohol would calm her nerves and make this less awkward. Hiccup's simple presence made her feel energetic, powerful, like she was on fire, and extraordinarily nervous at the same time. She cursed her adolescent hormones. One glance from him and she wanted to step closer, closer, until their bodies touched, until their lips collided, and closer, always closer and – and she wished she had a beer, or maybe six, right now. To make it easier to be around him while he was in this tux, jacket thrown over his shoulder, the sleeves of his button-down rolled up, flashing lights illuminating his face. Astrid wished it were easier to just ask Hiccup such a simple question as–

"Do you… want to dance?"

She blinked in surprise and stared at his outstretched hand, then at his wide, hopeful eyes. It took her an embarrassing time of several seconds to fully register what was happening.

Her heartbeat took up a notch when she placed her hand in his and walked with him to the dancefloor. She hoped he didn't feel her racing pulse or noticed the blush creeping on her face when she realized this was a slow song.

The world around her blurred and faded when she put her hands on Hiccup's shoulders and felt his coming around her waist. They started swaying to the music, soon finding their own rhythm.

Astrid was aware of every smallest movement of her fingers where they were lying on his shoulders, felt the fabric of his shirt, and realized she was gripping a little too hard. She felt the warmth of his hands through her dress. Her waist was the source of millions of tingles shooting through her body, her heart was racing, her stomach dropping out with every little shift of his fingers, with every time their eyes met. Somehow, they managed to not trip or step on each other's toes, like this rhythm was specifically designed for them.

Hiccup pulled her closer ever so slightly, green eyes full of affection, and an overwhelming wave of fondness spread in her chest. She managed to break away from his gaze, put her hands around his neck and lay her head on his shoulder. She breathed in his scent, a mix of cologne, shampoo, and something distinctively _Hiccup_. Closing her eyes, she buried her nose in his neck while his hands snaked around her back.

Astrid didn't remember the last time she felt so content, so safe and so warm. As a matter of fact, she didn't remember anything, couldn't think about anything. There was just her and Hiccup and Phil Collins. Right now, a comet could destroy the earth, everything could burn down, aliens could invade Berk, her whole world could shatter – nothing mattered except Hiccup's arms around her, hugging her tightly.

In this moment, she didn't give a damn about how cliché it sounded that she felt his heartbeat sync with hers. For all she cared, a director could yell cut when the song ended and wrap some high school rom-com she and Hiccup were unknowingly starring in as leads. In fact, she never wanted the song to end, willed the DJ to put in on loop.

But her wish didn't come true. The song faded into a fast, more upbeat one. Reluctantly, she let go of Hiccup, taking a step back, her fingers twitching to reach out for his hands. She could feel her heart in her throat when she met his eyes again and swallowed. All of a sudden it was hard to breathe when he looked at her that intensely.

"Wanna get some air?" she managed to say while her brain was still caught in the fog of being so close to Hiccup. He nodded and they weaved their way through the crowd and out the doors.

As soon as they got outside, Astrid's heart slowed down to a normal pace. It was already dark, the last remnants of light on the horizon disappearing while more stars appeared every time she blinked. She took a deep breath. The air was fresh and smelled like rain. And sure enough, the first clouds were blanketing the sky in the far distance.

A few students were standing in groups around the entrance to the gym, lit only by the light coming from inside and the screens of their phones. Astrid ignored their curious glances and kept walking, Hiccup trailing close behind her. She'd never really cared for high school gossip and would certainly not start tonight. Besides, one of them was one of the girls that had tried asking Hiccup to prom, and it took Astrid a lot of willpower to not turn around and meet _that girl's_ seething glare with a victorious smirk. Her dignity knew better.

They strolled along the school grounds in comfortable silence. Hiccup had his hands in the pockets of his pants, his jacket still over his shoulder. Astrid wondered how it had not fallen off yet and if he even knew it was there. She wouldn't be surprised if he didn't. Every once in a while, their arms brushed, but Astrid didn't flinch away. She could feel his eyes on the side of her face and was glad that it was dark. Her cheeks were burning from a combination of the hot, stuffy air inside the gym and Hiccup's attention.

"You look great, by the way," Hiccup said when they passed the garden club's flowerbed. "I really like your hair down like that."

Astrid felt her ears flush and twirled a strand of hair on a finger. "Thanks. You look really nice, too."

Hiccup rubbed his neck shyly and Astrid already sensed a protest coming, but for once he actually accepted a compliment like that without talking himself down in a sarcastic way. "Thanks."

A sudden cool breeze hit her and she tried to suppress a shiver, but Hiccup saw it. "Here," he said, took the jacket off his shoulder – so he _did_ know it was there – and put it around hers.

"Thanks," she murmured and slipped her arms through the sleeves. The shivering stopped immediately. It smelled like Hiccup.

She shot him a smile as they approached the set of swings they'd spent most of sophomore year on, mostly with the whole gang, sometimes just the two of them after last period, talking and joking around for hours. She remembered one day when her mother had called her asking where she was and Astrid realized it was past eight already, the sun dipping down on the horizon.

She sat down on the right swing – _her_ swing – and Hiccup plopped down on the left one. They just sat there silently reminiscing for a while.

"I guess that song goes into our playlist, huh?" Hiccup said eventually.

"Really?" Astrid played nonchalant, "you think it was special enough?" Even in the dark, she could see the panic on his face as he tried to backpedal.

"Oh, well no, I mean yeah, I mean if you don't–"

Astrid chuckled. "Hiccup, it's okay. I'm kidding." She couldn't hear his exhale, but it was evident in the way his shoulders untensed. Jumping off the swing, she slowly started walking again. "It was nice."

"Yeah." He smiled his lopsided smile at her as he caught up with her and bumped his shoulder against hers. She bumped back harder.

"Hey!" Hiccup complained. "Violence!"

"Communication," Astrid insisted and earned herself a chuckle.

"Then tell me, what are you communicating?" Hiccup asked.

"Well, what do you think?"

"I don't know, give me a hint, maybe." Did this count as flirting? Astrid wasn't sure, but she liked it.

"I've given you plenty of hints, Haddock." She didn't wait for him to answer. There was another subject she wanted to bring up. "What did Heather say to you earlier?"

Astrid expected him to avert his gaze, maybe rub his neck or start rambling. Instead, he looked her dead in the eye. "Well, what do you think?"

Her fist hit his shoulder. "That's for using my words against me." She hit him again. "And that's for not dancing with me sooner."

Hiccup rubbed the spot she'd hit and pursed his lips. "You didn't dance with me, either."

"Because you were avoiding me!"

"I wasn't– This isn't even supposed to be a real date, remember?"

"Oh, _really_?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" His arms were flailing around more than usual while he was talking.

"You tell me!"

Hiccup sighed. "Are we really having this argument right now?"

"Why can't you just tell me what's going on?" Astrid asked, softer, hoping. They'd made their way over the school grounds by now and had reached the other side of the gym. A few lights were illuminating a small area near the back exit. Astrid could see Hiccup's forehead crease, his brows furrow, as he looked at her for a long time. She gulped down the sudden fear of rejection that wormed its way into her heart. Whatever Hiccup would say or do now, however vague it would be, it could go only one of two directions. Either it was a hint that he felt the same way about her like she did about him – or that he didn't.

"I-" he began, the rest of the sentence getting stuck in his throat, for once lost for words. His eyes darted down her face. "Your lips are still blue," he mumbled. Astrid traced her tongue over them. They tasted like sugar.

She wondered what his would taste like if she inched closer. If she leaned in, tilted her head a little, shut her eyes and–

"Hiccup, my man!"

Astrid and Hiccup jumped apart. She released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. He ran a face over his hand with a sigh as he turned around and faced the source of the interruption.

"Tuffnut!"

"Yes, pal, it's me. Welcome to the jungle!"

Ruffnut appeared by his side, a wicked grin on her face. "We've got fun and games."

"We got everything you-"

"You do know what that song is about, right?" Hiccup interrupted Tuff with a raised eyebrow and crossed his arms.

"Sure we do," Ruff said, "that's why he have–" she pointed with both her hands at her brother who opened his jacket, revealing pockets full of condoms, "these."

"We already provided our service to three couples," Tuff added. "If anything, we're the safe angels of Berk High prom."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "I don't even want to know the details." She turned to Hiccup defeatedly. "Let's just get back inside."

"You know where to find us!" Ruffnut shouted after them as they rounded the corner, disappearing from the twins' sight.

Astrid sighed. The moment was ruined. Neither of them brought up what had just almost happened while they took the shortest path back to the party. Her heart was racing again. Being around Hiccup was probably bad for her health.

But that had been it, right? They had almost kissed. She tried to remember if it had been just her who had leaned in or if he had as well. He had, hadn't he? All at once, Astrid wasn't so sure. But he hadn't pulled away, either, right? She groaned inwardly.

"The twins are one of a kind, huh." She turned her head to look at Hiccup. The expression in his eyes was unreadable, which Astrid found absolutely frustrating. Usually, she was able to read him like a book. But if she were to guess, he was equally unsure about what to do or say in this situation. There was no way he could interpret what the twins had interrupted the wrong way. The question was how he felt about it.

"Sure are," Astrid answered as he opened the door, paused for a second and then awkwardly held it open for her.

"Milady," he mumbled and waved her inside.

Her heart skipped a beat at the nickname as she shuffled past him. The loud music and stuffy air immediately greeted her as soon as she stepped inside the gym. After the cool, quiet atmosphere outside, she felt like entering a different world. She soon found Heather talking to Fishlegs near the snacks and trudged over to them.

"Where have you been?" her friend asked her when she entered earshot. "And what are you wearing?"

It was then that Astrid noticed she was still wearing Hiccup's jacket. "Oh, right," she muttered and took it off before giving it back to Hiccup who had followed her over. "Thanks," she said, brushing her bangs out of her face.

"You're welcome." He smiled and took it from her. Their fingers touched ever so slightly but the spark was intense, nonetheless. Astrid swallowed.

Heather looked at her with a teasing grin and leaned forward to whisper something in her ear. "I'm sensing sexual tension."

"Heather!" Astrid hissed under her breath, knowing she was blushing before she felt it. She shot the boys a glance. Hiccup averted his eyes quickly and Fishlegs had turned in the other direction, shooting more photos with his camera.

"He's blushing," Heather whispered in a sing-song voice.

"Shut up," Astrid answered in the same way. "What even did you say to him earlier?"

Heather chuckled. "Don't worry, it wasn't related to… you know."

Astrid eyed her warily. "Related to what?"

Heather winked at her in the most suggestive manner. "The sex dream."

Astrid whipped around and pulled her friend away from the boys, far away, to the other side of the gym, where there was no chance they could hear them, see them, read their lips or use any other way to find out what the two girls were talking about.

"You will never ever talk about this to anyone, least of all Hiccup!" She gave Heather her very best glare. "I told you that in confidence!"

"You told me because you were horny and desperate to talk about it." Heather wasn't affected by Astrid's glare at all, probably because her face was as red as a tomato.

"I was _confused_, not horny! And it was still in confidence, okay?!"

Heather put an arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry, I'm just messing with you. I won't tell him, mainly because he'd probably combust on the spot or drop dead anyway. Or stutter himself to death, I bet he can do that."

Astrid crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at the other girl, trying to figure out how serious she was. Heather was her best friend after Hiccup and Astrid knew she could essentially trust her, which had been a reason why she'd told her about _the dream _in the first place, but sometimes she could be devious and sneaky. "Do you promise?"

Heather nodded solemnly. "I promise and I swear. Whichever you prefer."

After another minute of judging, Astrid sighed and finally dropped her glare. "Thanks," she mumbled. "Let's not talk about this anymore, alright?"

"At least not for tonight," Heather winked at her and grabbed her wrist. "Come one, let's dance."

Thankfully, Heather kept her word. It didn't stop Astrid from watching her carefully whenever she came close to Hiccup, though.

Every once in a while, their eyes met and Astrid's heart contracted in her chest. She wanted nothing more than to drag Hiccup back outside to a spot far from the twins and continue what they'd started before they'd been interrupted. And ever since Heather had mentioned _the dream_, she thought about paying a visit to the safe angels of Berk High prom to let them provide her with their goods and – and she really needed to cool off. Her hormones were raging.

Maybe she just needed to clear her mind of him for a while. Dance with Heather, get Fishlegs to lay down his camera for an hour, invent a fake party on the other side of town that Snotlout just _had_ to attend.

Maybe then she could try this _move_ one more time.

* * *

**A/N: *Kid from vine voice* Look at all those chickens!**

**(If they continue to be such chickens, Tuffnut will adopt them as pets.)**

**Anyone figured out what song they're dancing to? :D (It's "A Groovy Kind of Love" by Phil Collins.)**  
**And for those who didn't recognize it, Ruff and Tuff are quoting "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns n' Roses. And do YOU know what that song is about? ;)**


	3. Night Owls

It was late when they finally decided to leave. Most of the students had already gone home. Fishlegs was snoring in a corner, camera hanging from a strap around his neck. The twins were nowhere to be seen, Snotlout had left over an hour ago (to a supposed college party with "lots of half-naked chicks just waiting for the Snot-man") and Heather was trying to wake Fishlegs.

Astrid yawned loudly as she drove Hiccup home, prompting him to yawn even wider, which made them both chuckle, the exhaustion audible in their voices. A few raindrops landed on her windshield, sending the wipers into motion.

When they reached his house, she got out of the car with him and escorted him to the door, not yet ready to let the night end. They stood in front of his door and leaned against it, looking out into the cloudy night. The weather had turned into a drizzle, the rhythmic sound of falling rain filling the air.

"Thanks for driving me home," Hiccup mumbled and Astrid jumped at the chance to start a conversation, any conversation, to drag out saying goodnight.

"Would have been a shitty thing for me to do to drive you there and then let you walk home."

"I could have reported you for disability abuse."

"Hiccup, you regularly walk to school."

"Out of my own volition and not in the middle of the night after the longest party of my life."

"It's not like you've been to many." Astrid grinned at his deadpan expression. "It was fun, though."

Hiccup smiled at her. "It was." Astrid thought of their dance, their almost-kiss, and all those little moments when he'd smiled his special Hiccup-smile at her during the night and sent her heart racing.

Right as she wanted to say something, another yawn overcame her.

"Maybe we should go to sleep," Hiccup said.

"We really should," she agreed, and before she could think twice, she hugged him. His arms embraced her waist and he put his head on her shoulder. They stood there for a long minute, listening to the rain and each other's beating heart, before they pulled back.

"Good night, Hiccup." She took a few steps back in the direction of her car, still captured by his smile.

"Good night, Astrid." Neither of them moved, thinking of something to say, anything to drag this out longer. "Don't drive like Tuffnut dances."

Astrid snorted. "I don't have a death wish."

"What even was that when you guys were dancing? It looked like he was playing with a spin top, and you were the spin top."

She laughed and stepped closer again. "It sure felt like it. I was afraid I'd lose my balance after he let go of me and faceplant on the floor."

"Yeah, who knows what else he was _providing_ tonight."

"That was _so_ the twins, right?"

"I wouldn't have expected anything else. I mean, not that I knew what they were going to do, who ever knows that, but it was still typically weird, like all the other stuff they pull, and I'm rambling, sorry."

Astrid chuckled and hit his arm with a loose fist. "It's okay."

"Good."

"Good."

Suddenly, his hand rose to her cheek, picking a strand of hair off it and putting it behind her ear. Astrid held her breath as his hand hovered near her face and his eyes fell to her lips. She didn't dare to move or look away, lest the moment was broken.

They stared at each other for a while, before Hiccup cleared his throat and took a step back. "Goodnight."

Astrid bit her lip. He could have… But he didn't. _Why_?

"Goodnight." She looked at him a moment longer, trying to signal him with her eyes to _just damn kiss her_, but he averted his gaze.

In a bold move of determination, she grabbed his arm and planted a quick peck on his cheek. The contact left her lips tingling and her tongue itching to trace over them. Hiccup's eyes had gone wide in surprise and his mouth was slightly agape. She waited for him to react while the sound of rain was getting louder. A gust of wind blew a few drops under the roof they were standing beneath and they fell on her naked shoulder.

Hiccup kept gaping at her like a fish. Why didn't he do anything? She hoped it meant that his brain had short-circuited and not that he was desperately trying to think of something to say that would let her down easily.

After a minute of awkward silence, though, her nerves got the better of her and she turned around, cursing Hiccup, cursing herself, while she walked towards her car.

"Astrid," she heard him call out and she whirled around, hopeful.

"Yes?" While the rain was slowly soaking her hair and dress and her heart was pounding in her ears, she watched Hiccup open and close his mouth a couple times before he spoke.

"Get home safe." Her shoulders sagged and a feeling of disappointment shot right through her heart. She simply nodded and got in her car, watching him through the rearview mirror as she drove away. He stood there, following her with his eyes, until she rounded the corner and he disappeared from her sight.

* * *

Astrid tossed and turned in her bed, unable to come even close to falling asleep.

Whenever she closed her eyes, she saw Hiccup, standing there in front of her on the dancefloor, outside the gym, and in front of his house. Her heart would speed up whenever she thought of the almost-kiss, the feeling of him so close to her while they danced, him draping his jacket over her shoulders, and every other moment between them that night that her mind kept replaying over and over.

It was impossible to block those memories out. She just couldn't stop thinking about him. And although she found herself in this situation not infrequently, this time it was worse than all the other nights she spent lying awake with her chest feeling tight and her mind full of _him_. Sometimes it really infuriated her.

At one point, she grabbed her phone and contemplated calling or texting him. Her fingers hovered over the screen, typing, deleting, retyping, deleting again. She felt like the blinking cursor was mocking her. It was literally _cursing_ her. She grinned. Hiccup would like that one. Maybe she should text him that… No, never mind. She didn't want him asking her exactly how she'd thought of it.

Astrid sighed. It was no use; he was probably long asleep anyway. Rubbing her tired eyes and ignoring the horrifying digits on her alarm clock, she locked her phone and put it back on her nightstand.

She had just turned on her other side and shut her eyes, concentrating on the soothing sound of raindrops steadily drumming against her window, when her phone suddenly buzzed, the low light of the screen illuminating part of her pillow. She scrambled to get to it and checked the notification with a beating heart.

_Astrid, check out our latest deals and save up to $10!_

With a huff, she turned her phone off completely and shoved it into her nightstand before she flopped back down on the pillow. This was ridiculous. She should really go to sleep now, Hiccup Haddock be damned.

About half an hour later, she was so concentrated on squeezing her eyes shut and counting sheep that she missed it the first time.

The second time, she heard it in the back of her mind, a sound like a branch hitting glass. It was possible; there was a tree directly in front of her window.

The third time, it came louder, longer, more insistent. _Knock-knock-knock-knock-knock-knock-knock-knock-knock-knock-knock._

Astrid's eyes flew open, staring at a silhouette right outside her room, a dark shape in form of a… a head? In an instant, she was wide awake again. All the sheep ran straight against the fence, collapsing in a bleating heap.

There was another series of knocks, and a voice. "Astrid!" it hissed. She recognized it immediately.

"What the hell?!" she mumbled under her breath as she padded over to the window and opened it. "What are you doing here?!"

"I um… Can I come in?" It was then that she noticed the dripping strands of hair hanging down his forehead, longer than usual in their soaked state. The rest of him was probably just as drenched.

Astrid stepped aside and watched Hiccup pull himself gracelessly through her window, knocking his arms and legs on the frame and his head on the pane several times, before he slumped down on her floor in a pile of rain-soaked limbs.

"What are you doing here?" she repeated her question. "And how did you climb the house?"

Hiccup stood up, carding his fingers through his wet hair, a few raindrops rolling down the side of his face in the process. "Tree," he simply said.

"The lowest branch is too high to climb," Astrid countered.

"I stood on my bike to reach it."

Astrid frowned. "But you hate cycling." He hadn't yet altered the left pedal of his bike to make it easier for him to ride it, instead his prosthetic used to slide off the pedal all the time.

"I know, but I had to come here as fast as possible and my parents would have heard the car."

"But why are you here, Hiccup? And how would you even know if I was awake? It's the middle of the night!"

Hiccup shrugged and, in a tone as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, said, "Astrintuition."

She shoved his shoulder lightly but couldn't keep the grin from forming on her face, matching the gleam in his eyes.

"I tried texting you but my texts didn't come through." _Oh._ Figured. As soon as she turned off her phone…

The frown returned to her face. "Seriously now, why are you here, Hiccup?"

"Well…" He scratched his neck and would suddenly look anywhere but her. "I just… I um, I wanted– you see, it's… Tonight was– for so long I… And I could have, but you know… And then you… But I, I–"

"Hiccup," she cut in, "you're not making any sense."

The only light in her room was coming from the glowing digits of her alarm clock and the street lamps outside, but it was enough. Enough to see the shadows on his cheeks, the crease on his forehead, and the sudden determination in his eyes after she interrupted his rambling.

Astrid found herself stuck under his gaze as his eyes darted down to her mouth and he suddenly surged forward, grabbed her face and pressed his lips on hers. Her stomach dropped out and her brain froze, but she didn't even have time to react when after a couple of seconds, he pulled back.

For a minute, they stared at each other, eyes wide and hearts pounding. Unconsciously, Astrid raised a finger to her lips. They were still tingling like crazy from his touch moments ago. _Again_, they screamed, _more!_

Astrid's eyes fell to his lips all on their own, and an invisible string pulled them together once more.

They were like two sides of a magnet, a natural force between them that kept them attached. With her eyes closed, Astrid found herself lost in space and time, soaring through staggering heights. Her mind went blank. Jolts of electricity shot from her lips into her toes; she was on a crazy rollercoaster ride, spinning up and down and around as fast as possible. Her stomach flip-flopped, her bones turned to jelly, and a feeling of elation spread in her chest, running through every nerve and fiber like a tidal wave.

Breathing hard, hearts threatening to jump out of their chests, they parted. Astrid found her hands wrapped around his neck, his arms around her waist, holding her flush to him. She could count his freckles in the dim light and feel his heartbeat against her chest.

Her lips felt swollen and her brain had melted. She had always thought the description of first kisses in books and movies were cheesy and exaggerated, and when people told her about their real-life experiences, that only solidified her opinion. Never had she thought it could feel like this. Not cheesy, not hopelessly romantic, not sloppy, wet, or awkward. Instead, it was breathtaking. Exciting. Nerve-wracking. Toe-numbing. Wonderful. Exhilarating.

Gathering back her senses, she looked up at Hiccup. His eyelids fluttered open, a look of wonder on his face.

"I've always wanted to do that," he whispered hoarsely and her heart skipped a beat.

"Then why didn't you?" She gazed into his eyes, the green a dark shade in the lack of light. She could swear there were sparkles in it. He was apparently hell-bent on making this cheesy. But she was still soaring too high to care.

"I… Call me corny, but the moment was never perfect." Astrid's fist connected with his shoulder, but there wasn't as much momentum behind it as usual. Her muscles still felt like jelly.

"There've been plenty of perfect moments tonight."

"Well, the safe angles of Berk High prom apparently took their job very seriously." Astrid's stomach swooped. So it hadn't just been her, then.

She wanted to comment on all the other opportunities that had presented themselves that night (or on any other day), but instead she got lost in the soft crinkles around his eyes, the wide stretch of his smile, the pure adoration with which he regarded her as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear for the second time that night.

It didn't matter anyway, she decided. There had been moments, he had been a chicken, she had been a chicken. They were here now. Hiccup Haddock had come to her house in the middle of the night, during a rainstorm, on a bike which he hated, and climbed up her house. Smiling, she shook her head and lost the fight against a big yawn.

With a bit of reluctance, she stepped away from him and returned to her bed, lying down under the covers. Hiccup remained on his spot, his eyes never leaving her, uncertain about what he should do now.

"What?" Astrid asked. "Are you planning on sleeping while standing up?" His mouth formed a silent _oh_ when she scooted over and padded the space next to her.

"But… I'm soaked."

"Then hang your clothes over the radiator. Or do you need jeans to sleep in?" Astrid couldn't see it in the dark, but she was sure he was blushing while he took off his jacket, wiggled out of his pants and came over to her in nothing but his boxers and a t-shirt. He sat down, removed his prosthetic and slipped under the covers of her small bed, their bodies instantly touching the moment he shuffled closer ever so slightly to make sure he didn't fall over the edge.

Astrid could feel the heat radiating off him and another jolt of lightning pleasantly shocked her when she felt the skin of his thigh brush against hers. She'd never been gladder and more nervous about wearing her pajama shorts.

"You don't have to lie on the frame," she whispered, finding his hand under the blanket and tugging lightly until he moved a little closer. "I don't bite, you know."

"I just don't want to take up all your sleeping space."

"You've been taking up my space for years now, Haddock."

"Me? You're the one always hoarding all the pillows on the couch during movie nights." He shifted on his side, facing her. She did the same, and falling off the bed wasn't a problem anymore.

"That's your own fault for choosing a rom-com. I wanted to watch _Iron Man_, instead I had to cuddle the pillows."

Hiccup's face lit up. "Astrid Hofferson likes to cuddle during rom-coms? Now that's a fact I feel honored to know and will keep dear all my life."

She snickered at the amazed face he made. He was so adorable. That look immediately turned into a wide smile when she laughed.

"Astrid?"

"Hmm?" She shuffled a little closer, faces only inches apart, and closed her eyes. His t-shirt was a little clammy from the soaked through rain. Her giddiness was slowly fading, making way for her tiredness to set back in. Hiccup's thumb gently stroked her knuckles.

"Wanna go get ice cream tomorrow?"

She opened her eyes again. "Are you asking me out?"

"Yes." He interlaced their fingers. "Like I already should have done a long time ago." The storm in her stomach had settled down, the butterflies only slowly flapping their wings or flying a quick loop whenever he touched her, but now the whole colony did a little dance.

"I agree, you should have." She snuggled into her big pillow, shut her eyes and gave his hand a squeeze. "But yes, let's go for all the ice cream."

She felt him place a kiss on her forehead, the skin there instantly tingling again. Would it be like that all the time now? Would kissing him, touching him, being with him make her feel that way forever? If so, she could get used to it.

Comfortable and warm, Astrid slowly drifted off to sleep, listening to the sound of Hiccup's even breaths right there next to her and the rain drumming against her window in a calming song.

* * *

Astrid woke to the distant sound of a phone ringing.

It was far away enough to pull her from sleep gently, her foggy mind slowly clearing while she half-opened her eyes. A beam of sunlight fell through her window, warming the side of her head. She had never felt more comfortable in her entire life.

After a minute, she registered the arms hugging her from behind, the legs tangled with hers, and the hair tickling her ear and neck. _Hiccup._

The smile found its way on her face all on its own while she replayed the previous night. _He'd actually done that._

Hiccup made a barely audible, sleep-filled hum when she turned in his embrace to face him. She marveled at the soft lines of his face, so calm and relaxed in his sleep, admired the slope of his brows, attempted to count his freckles, gently traced his cheekbones with a feather-light finger, down his face, the sides of his jaw, the stubble uneven under her touch.

Slowly, he blinked his eyes open, and she watched his pupils narrow and dilate as they adjusted to the light.

"Hey," she breathed.

"Hey." His voice was low and a little throaty and it woke the butterflies. The beam of sunlight grew when a cloud moved on in the sky. It shone warm on her skin and partially illuminated Hiccup's hair so that it looked like it was burning. It didn't reach his eyes, but it didn't have to. They were shining by themselves as he held her gaze.

A sudden loud knock on the door startled them both. They were wide awake in an instant.

"Astrid, are you awake?" her mother called from the other side.

Hiccup's eyes were wide as saucers and he didn't move a muscle as Astrid sat up, an equal look of panic on her face.

"Ah, yeah, but don't come in… I'm, um… I'm not dressed… yet!"

In a horrifying second, she watched the doorknob turn, but then it closed again.

"Do you know where Hiccup is?" her mother continued. Astrid shared an alarmed look with him. "I have his mom on the phone. She says his suit from last night is home but she doesn't know where he is and can't reach his phone."

"Crap," Hiccup mumbled and jumped out of bed, hopping on one leg towards the radiator where he'd hung his clothes. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and cursed again. "Empty battery."

"Astrid?" The doorknob began to turn again and Astrid was at the door in one step, pushing it closed.

"Don't come in! I'm… putting on clothes. But I don't know where he is," she lied and only felt a tad bad about it, "I dropped him off at home last night and he went inside."

"Do you have any idea where he could be?"

Astrid looked over at Hiccup who had put on his prosthetic and was now stepping into his jeans, grimacing when he found them still wet. "Maybe he went on a morning walk and his phone is dead."

"Hmm, okay. Thanks, honey." Astrid heard her mother's steps disappearing down the hall, her voice growing distant as she relayed the information to Valka.

"I better get home," Hiccup said, uncomfortably tugging at the hem of his jeans. His shoes made a squishing sound when he walked over to the window and opened it.

"Make sure to not go past the kitchen window." Astrid grabbed his jacket that he'd left on the radiator and handed it to him.

"Oh, thanks. Wait, is that my shirt?" He pointed at the t-shirt Astrid was wearing, the one she'd slept in for the past weeks. He hadn't noticed in the lack of light last night and she'd forgotten all about it.

"No, it's not," she quickly said, hoping she wouldn't blush and give herself away. "It just looks similar. Now go, before your parents send out a search mission or my mom comes back! She'll be suspicious if I still won't let her in."

Hiccup wasn't convinced, looking between the shirt and her face with a raised eyebrow. But then he shrugged, although Astrid could tell by the look on his face that he hadn't dropped the subject for good yet.

He put an arm through his jacket, scrunched up his face and took it off again, before he shot a quick glance into the garden below and dropped the jacket next to the tree where his bicycle was leaning against the trunk. He started scrambling out the window and already had one foot out when he suddenly paused, climbed back in and hit his head on the frame in the process.

"_Ouch._"

"Is someone down there?" Astrid asked, stepping closer to get a better look, but Hiccup shook his head.

"Nah, just forgot something." In one swift move, he pulled her close with one arm curling around her waist, closed his eyes and kissed her, eliciting a surprised sound from her throat. She melted into the kiss, soaring once again. She couldn't imagine ever growing tired of this.

He let her go much too soon, taking a moment to nuzzle his nose against hers, before he turned around and hit his head on the frame again when he climbed out the way he came in.

"Be careful," Astrid whisper-shouted after him when she remembered how to speak.

"Should've told me that before I hit my head on your window several times," he whisper-shouted back from his spot on the tree and promptly hit his head on a thick branch. "_Fuck!_"

Astrid burst into laughter, watching as he jumped down from the lowest branch, took a look around and found it safe. He waved up at her, then sneaked out the garden with his bike. Astrid waved back when he turned around one last time to smile at her, before he disappeared down the street.

Astrid closed her window and outright giddily _twirled_ through her room before flopping down on her bed. The sheets still smelled a little like him, just like the shirt she secretly borrowed from him a while ago. She allowed herself a few minutes of daydreaming before she got up to take a shower. She didn't even attempt to not think about him, because she knew that whatever she'd do, her mind would go back to him straight away. And when she closed her eyes, she remembered the way his lips had felt on hers, so soft and warm and tingly.

When she came out of the bathroom, she got her phone out of her nightstand and checked for new messages.

**Snotlout [4:20am]: **_still cant fin d aa patry,, where it _

**Snotlout [4:20am]: **_patry_

**Snotlout [4:20am]: **_party_

**Snotlout [4:21am]: **_hah a dope its 420_

**Snotlout [4:21am]: **_ah yak dung_

**Snotlout [7:13am]: **_ther was no patry u sukc astrid not cool_

With a satisfied smile on her face, she texted him a winking emoji and one of a fish on a hook, and opened the next chat.

**Fishlegs [9:38am]: **_Here are your photos from last night_

**Fishlegs [9:39am]: **_Actually you have to pay for them but I love these too much to not give them to you right away_

Attached were two photos, both of them the portraits Fish had taken of them last night. The first one featured her with her arms crossed, but she was looking at Hiccup who was standing right next to her. A faint blush was visible on her face as she gazed at him with a soft look. He was looking right back at her with a warm, lopsided smile.

The second one had them both grinning at the camera, his arm around her shoulder while she was leaning into him, arms no longer crossed, stance relaxed.

Astrid stared at the pictures with a fuzzy feeling. She typed a quick thank you back before setting the first picture as her lockscreen. (She briefly considered setting the other one as her general phone background, but the way her dog Stormfly looked at her from the screen made her dismiss the idea.)

While she was admiring her new lockscreen, a new text came in.

**Hiccup [10:08am]:** _the cove in 20? _

**Astrid [10:09am]: **_On my way._

She made it there in fifteen minutes, but he was already there, leaning against a big oak tree, smiling at something on his phone.

The cove was on the edge of the city, a beautiful spot near the forest, with a small lake in the middle. It was her and Hiccup's favorite place to meet, especially in summer when they could go for a cool swim in the fresh water.

The grass was still wet from the rain, the paths muddy, and with every puff of wind, a little shower fell out of the trees.

Astrid approached Hiccup from behind, moved her face close to his ear, and said in the most casual voice, "Boo." He jumped, almost dropping his phone, and clutched a hand to his heart.

"Astrid! Don't do that!"

Laughing, she wrapped her hands around his neck. "You knew what you were getting yourself into." When she kissed him, she thought she'd been prepared this time, but nevertheless it sent her heart flying and her stomach flipping. And she loved every second of it.

When she pulled back, he briefly leaned back in to steal another peck.

"I see you're wearing your own clothes now."

Astrid crossed her arms. "I don't know what you mean."

"Come on, I've seen it, I know you stole my shirt. I've actually been wondering where that went."

"Have not! Your drawer is pure chaos, I don't know how you find anything in there."

"It's called organized chaos, Astrid. And you stole my shirt."

"Did not."

"You know what? If you get one of mine, I get one of yours."

That made her laugh. "They wouldn't even fit you."

"Who says that I was gonna wear it?"

"What, you want to hang it on your wall?"

"No, I was gonna snuggle with it."

"You're such a dork, Hiccup."

He reached down to grab her hand. "You started it, you stole my shirt."

Astrid rolled her eyes with a smile. She would never tell him that she'd been borrowing his shirts for months, keeping them until they lost his scent because she'd been wearing them too long or they had to be washed. She always returned them and took another one without him noticing.

When she simply smirked instead of replying, Hiccup ran a hand through her hair and under his gaze she felt like a goddess.

"I don't know if you noticed," he said quietly, face close to her ear, "but I really, really like you." His words sent a shiver down her spine.

She bopped his nose. "And I guess your _Astrintuition_ can tell you what I think."

"Ha ha. I mean it."

"I know." She brushed her bangs out of her face while she looked at the ground and rolled a few pebbles around with her shoe. "What did your parents say?"

"About you stealing my clothes or you changing the topic?" She hit his arm. "_Ow_, violence!"

"Communication, Hiccup." He shook his head smiling.

"My dad was already off to work and I think my mom didn't believe me when I told her I went to Fishlegs' because of an emergency at six in the morning before she got up, and returned three hours later, shortly after she called your mom."

"But you got away with it?"

"I hope so."

Astrid's stomach chose that moment to rumble audibly.

"Haven't had breakfast yet either?" When she shook her head, he held out his hand. "Wanna go get some?"

She snorted and took his hand. "Great choice of words, Hiccup. But yes, let's go get some together."

They strolled off towards the city, holding hands and debating the best kind of breakfast and the weirdest way of wording it. They were laughing so hard by the time they crossed the first streets that people were turning their heads in their direction, but neither Hiccup nor Astrid minded them.

When they stopped at a red light, she squeezed his hand and faced him, complete honesty in her eyes. "I really like you too."

Hiccup's blinding smile was worth all those months she'd struggled with telling him, pining over him so unnecessarily. (Astrid didn't plan on telling Heather that she'd been right all this time, at least not so soon. She could live a while without that shit-eating grin and smug _I told you so_.)

Astrid didn't know when she started having feelings for her best friend. Maybe a year ago, maybe two, maybe even when she talked to him for the first time. She didn't care. All she knew was that it felt right. And that she wouldn't have it any other way.


End file.
